IB Bio Unit 2: Cells and Microscopy Vocabulary

Cell

The basic structural and functional unit of all living organisms, capable of carrying out the processes essential for life.

Ex: Uni and multicellular organisms

Cell Theory

A scientific theory that describes the properties and functions of cells, stating that all living things are composed of cells, that the cell is the basic unit of life, and that all cells arise from pre-existing cells.

Ex: Paramecium

Cryogenic Electron Microscopy

A technique that uses electrons to visualize specimens at cryogenic temperatures, allowing for high-resolution imaging of biological structures and macromolecules in their native state.

Ex: Studying how viruses infect cells

Cytoplasm

The material inside a cell, excluding the nucleus where many chemical reactions occur.

EX: Glycolysis occurs in the Cytoplasm

Deductive Reasoning

Using a general principle to make a specific prediction.

Ex: All cells have Ribosomes therefore any newly discovered cells should have Ribosomes

DNA

The molecule that stores genetic information in cells.

Ex: A sequence has the genes for whatever its in

Electron Microscope

A microscope that uses electrons instead of light to make highly magnified detailed images.

Ex: Viewing the Internal structure of a mitochondria

Field of View

The circular area visible in a microscope.

Ex: The higher magnification the less of the specimen you can see in the field of view

Freeze Fracture

A technique where a frozen cell is fractured to expose internal structures, used in combination with electron microscopy.

Ex: Reveals proteins embedded in a cell membrane

Immunofluorescence

A technique that uses fluorescently labeled antibodies to locate specific molecules in cells.

Ex: Using to locate specific proteins within a cell

Inductive Reasoning

Using specific observations to develop a general conclusion.

Ex: Observing many bacteria reproduce by cell division conclusion that bacteria reproduce by cell division

Light Microscope

A microscope that uses visible light and glass lenses to magnify specimens.

Ex: Viewing cells within an organism

Magnification

The number of times larger an image appears compared with the actual object.

An image with a 40x magnification appears 40 times larger than the original specimen

Multicellular

An organism made up of many cells

Ex: A human is multicellular

Objective Lens

The microscope lens closest to the specimen that provides magnification.

Ex: The 10x objective lens used to view cells

Ocular Lens

The lens you look through on a microscope also called the eyepiece.

Ex: A microscope can have a 10x ocular lens

Plasma Membrane

A selectively permeable membrane that surrounds a cell and controls what enters and leaves it.

Ex: Oxygen can diffuse across the plasma membrane

Resolution

The ability to distinguish two close objects as separate.

Ex; A high resolution microscope can distinguish two structures that are nanometers away.

Ribosome

A structure that makes proteins by joining amino acids according to to instructions from mRNA

Ex: Ribosomes can make proteins and enzymes

Scale

A reference that allows the actual size of an object in an image to be determined

Ex: A scale bar with measurements on an image

Unicellular

An organism with only one cell.

Ex: An Amoeba

Wet Mount

A microscope presentation where a specimen is placed in liquid and covered with a coverslip.

Ex: placing a drop of pond water onto a slide